California Succulents – Do You Know What These Plants Are?

I’ve been on vacation to sunny southern California, which was awesome. Unfortunately, I came home to a garden which – without humans or dogs putzing around the place – had been really ravaged by groundhogs. I count at least 6 so far that have been living under my shed. My dogs killed #5 this morning. Ugh. They ate their way through my melons, my tomatoes, my green beans and my sweet potato vines, if you can believe that. I came back to sweet potato vines that had not a single leaf on them. I honestly had to stand there for a minute and try to figure out what the heck that was growing in my garden! Thankfully the leaves are already coming back, and most of the sweet potatoes could probably be pulled out now anyway, no harm, no foul. But still. What am I, running a groundhog soup kitchen here, or what?

Anyway, while at the Santa Barbara zoo I took some photos of some really cool plants and flowers, things I had never seen before and sure never see at home here in Southern Maryland. My family made fun of me for photographing the plants at the zoo instead of the animals. Then my camera battery died, and I missed my opportunity to get a picture of my daughter feeing a giraffe. Did you know that they have super long, black tongues?

I don’t know what any of these plants are and have been so busy catching up with things since I’ve been back, that I haven’t had a chance to find out. So if anyone knows what any of these things are and would like to leave me a comment I would appreciate it!!!!